World Sight Day is an international day of awareness held on the second Thursday of October each year. Coordinated by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, it brings people around the world together to recognise the value of vision and draw attention to the importance of eye care.
Since becoming an official IAPB event in 2000, World Sight Day has grown into a global movement calling for eye care that is accessible, available and affordable to everyone.
In 2026, World Sight Day falls on Thursday 8 October.
Why World Sight Day matters
Sight can play an important part in how we learn, work, connect with others and participate in everyday life.
Nearly everyone will experience an eye health issue at some point in their lifetime. However, more than one billion people around the world still do not have access to the eye care services and treatments they need.
For some people, care may be too far from home. Others may face the cost of travel or treatment, a shortage of trained eye care workers, or limited access to appropriate facilities and equipment.
World Sight Day helps make these barriers visible. It reminds us that access to quality eye care should not depend on where someone lives or what they can afford.
What does accessible, available, and affordable eye care mean?
These three words are at the heart of World Sight Day.
Accessible eye care means people can reach and use services when they need them, including those living in rural or remote communities.
Available eye care means there are trained eye care workers, appropriate facilities, equipment and treatments ready to meet people’s needs.
Affordable eye care means the cost of an eye examination; glasses or treatment does not prevent someone from receiving care.
When these three things come together, more eye conditions can be identified early, and more people can receive the care that is right for them.
What is Love Your Eyes?
Love Your Eyes is IAPB’s global campaign calling for everyone to prioritise their eye health while encouraging governments and other decision makers to improve access to eye care.
At the heart of every World Sight Day is a simple message: #LoveYourEyes.
Loving your eyes can begin with everyday actions, such as having regular eye checks, protecting your eyes from injury, and seeking advice if you notice a change in your vision.
But the campaign is also about something bigger. It calls for a world where everyone can access quality eye care, regardless of their location, income, or circumstances.
The 2026 World Sight Day campaign marks five years of Love Your Eyes. It will also help build momentum towards the first Global Summit for Eye Health in November, where global leaders will come together to encourage greater commitment and investment in eye health.
How are we supporting eye care in the Pacific
Across the Pacific, many people still face barriers to receiving timely eye care, particularly those living in remote communities.
The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ works alongside Pacific governments, local organisations, universities and eye care teams to support locally led eye care.
This includes supporting the training and ongoing development of Pacific eye doctors, nurses, and other eye care workers. It also includes strengthening services, supporting outreaches, and helping build effective, locally managed eye healthcare systems.
Training local eye care workers means knowledge and specialist skills remain within communities. Supporting stronger eye healthcare systems helps ensure that eye care can continue well into the future.
This work reflects Fred Hollows’ belief that everyone should have access to quality eye care, no matter where they live.
How can you take part?
World Sight Day is an opportunity to share why sight matters and help more people understand the barriers that can prevent communities from accessing quality eye care.
You can take part by:
- Learning more about the barriers to accessing eye care across the Pacific
- Sharing our World Sight Day stories with friends and whānau
- Helping bring attention to the importance of accessible, available and affordable eye care
- Supporting our work to strengthen locally led eye care across the Pacific.
This World Sight Day, your donation can help make eye care more accessible across the Pacific by supporting eye operations and treatments, training eye care professionals and strengthening eye healthcare systems.
Help restore sight and transform lives
Support treatment, training and stronger eye healthcare systems across the Pacific.
